The Japan Emergency Team

OPERATION TOHOKU JAPAN 2011 CLICK HERE

The Japan Emergency Team operates on community support and, in principle, volunteers who take part in projects are responsible for their own expenses.

Call JET at : 03-3435-8017
The Japan Emergency Team (JET) is the only non-profit, non-governmental disaster relief organization in Japan. Dedicated to the international community, we can be called 24 hours a day, from anywhere at anytime, from a simple question to emergency assistance.

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JET began in 1989 when 38 students from Chuo University went overseas to help in the wake of the San Francisco earthquake, thus representing the first international relief effort made by any Japanese group. Since then, that core group of students has grown more than twelve times its original size– making our team network close to 500 volunteers. Students from thirty different universities as well as young workers throughout Japan now make up the foundation on which JET operates. JET also welcomes a diverse group of volunteers from countries such as America, Australia, England, the Philippines and many others.

Since its inception, JET has responded to many man-made and natural catastrophes worldwide. Our efforts include sending food, medical and other need-specified supplies, services and volunteers. JET usually cooperates with organizations already at the origin of disaster and provides ancillary and/or direct manpower support. In the past, some of our operations have included: making surveys and on-site reports, sending and distributing relief goods, participating in reconstruction activities and volunteering in refugee camps.

We were the first relief group to arrive in Kobe after the Great Hanshin Earthquake struck on January 17, 1995 and became the sole NGO invited to work in the government’s Central Disaster Relief Center. In addition to providing relief supplies and services, JET established a search system for earthquake victims to help family members and friends within Japan and overseas locate loved ones in the devastated area. CNN, BBC and NHK aired our worldwide, toll-free number and we answered inquiries 24 hours a day and within the first two weeks alone we received an excess of 2,000 calls!

At present we are still have lines open dealing with questions and problems related to the Hanshin earthquake. A list of past and present operations can be viewed HERE.

The Japan Emergency Team’s Ken Joseph Junior, has also published a book in Japanese (only) relating to the Team’s experiences in Disaster Relief.
For more information on the book, click on the image (Amazon -- Japanese).